Post War Tensions Flashcards
Post war tensions
Aug 1945: The USA dropped atomic bombs on Japan.
Feb 1946: US ambassador in Moscow sent the ‘Long Telegram’ to Washington arguing USSR wanted to end capitalism but would back down to strong resistance.
Sept 1946: Soviet Ambassador in Washington Novikov sent ‘Novikov Telegram’ to Stalin warning that the USA was preparing for war with USSR.
1945-48: Stalin created a buffer zone of communist countries in Eastern Europe by fixing elections and arresting opposition (e.g. Poland).
Truman doctrine
1947
Truman feared communism would spread from the USSR via the Domino Effect.
The USA would now actively try to prevent this by either economic or military means.
The Marshall Plan provided $13bn in aid to help rebuild European countries.
The plan was designed to stop countries turning to communism in desperation and to ensure they remained friendly with the USA.
Stalin refused to allow Eastern European countries to accept Marshall aid.
Berlin Blockade
1948-49
Britain, France and the USA combined their German zones into ‘Trizonia’ and introduced a new currency.
Stalin believed they intended to reunite all of Germany under capitalism.
He blockaded West Berlin (which was within his zone), hoping for a victory against Truman and to force the Allies to give him all of Berlin.
The blockade lasted 318 days, during which the USA airlifted supplies into the city.
In May 1949 Stalin backed down, humiliated.
Cominform and Comecon
In response to the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, Stalin moved to strengthen his control in Eastern Europe.
1947: Cominform was founded to help Stalin control his satellite states from Moscow.
These states were encouraged to trade only with each other and to reject help from the Marshall Plan.
1949: Comecon was introduced as the Soviet equivalent of the Marshall Plan.
